James Franklin jokes that J.T. Barrett has been at Ohio State for over 15 years

Ohio State quarterback J.T. Barrett (16) carries the ball during the first half of an NCAA college football game against Nebraska in Lincoln, Neb., Saturday, Oct. 14, 2017. (AP Photo/Nati Harnik)

Like you, Penn State coach James Franklin also thinks it feels like Ohio State quarterback J.T. Barrett has been with the Buckeyes for a long damn time.

During his press conference Tuesday, Franklin cracked a joke about how long Barrett, now a senior, has been at Ohio State. The No. 2 Nittany Lions travel to play No. 6 Ohio State on Saturday.

“J.T. Barrett has been playing at Ohio State for, I think this is his 16th year,” Franklin said. “Maybe going on 17. One of the most successful quarterbacks in school history, if not the most. And one of the most successful quarterbacks in Big Ten history and nationally.”

Maybe Barrett is the college football version of former Kansas basketball player Perry Ellis, who played for four years with the Jayhawks but it felt (and he looked) like he had been at Kansas for a lot longer than that.

Barrett started at quarterback as a freshman for the Buckeyes when Braxton Miller suffered a shoulder injury before the 2014 season. And, as you know, Ohio State then won the national title without Barrett because he suffered a broken ankle against Michigan.

After a junior season that ended with a shutout loss to Clemson, Barrett has emerged as one of the country’s most efficient quarterbacks in 2017. He’s completing nearly 67 percent of his passes, averaging nearly nine yards a pass and has thrown 21 touchdowns to just one interception.